Fishing-float.



fie. 721,267. PATEN'ILED FEBQ24, 190s.

- J. W. WILSON.

FISHING FLOAT.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13, 1902. no MODEL.

1% QMM @M: 4? w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. WILSON, OF OYNTHIANA,KENTUOKY.

FISHING-FLOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,267, dated February24, 1903.

Application filed April 18, 1902. Serial lilo. 103.657- (No model.)

.To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. WILSON, a resident of Oynthiana, in thecounty of Harrison and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new anduseful Improvementsin Fishin g-Floats and Ido hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description'of theinvention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to floats suitable for attachment to fish-lines inthe well-known manner.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved float and oneboth'cheap and durable.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, Figure 1is a side view of a float, and Fig. 2 is a sectional View on line 2 2 ofFig. l.

The body 1 of the float according to this invention is madeof vegetablepith, sometimes called cellulose, and particularly the pith ofcornstalks, which, though very light, has sufficient strength whenproperly handled to allow forming it into float form by suitableapparatus. While the pith is still soft, a stick is pushed lengthwisethrough it, which stick is useful for securing a fish-line to the float.It is evident that the soft pith will be supported and strengthed bysaid stick. After the soft pith is dried and formed into proper floatshape it is coated with shellac, paint, and varnish, or otherwaterproofing material 4. These materials applied to the pith floatexclude water from float, which is essential, owing to the greatabsorptive power of said material. The materials applied to the outersurface also increase the hardness and strength of said surface of thepith float. At each end of the pith body on the stick said body is boundwith wire or other wrapping 3 to exclude water from entering between thestick and the body. Said wrappings are applied before the surface of thefloat is given the outer hardening Waterproofing coating. The wrappingswill sink into the pith a little, thereby being permanently held inplace, particularly after the application thereover of the materialsapplied to the surface of the float.

The pith float-body, with'the stick embedded in itthat is, pushed or runthrough the soft pithisan important feature of this invention.

I am aware that wooden floats having similar form to mine have beenproposed, and such devices are not broadly claimed. Cornstalk-pith hasspecial properties which by my improvement are utilized in manner notpracticable with wood or with any material heretofore used in floats.Such pith is easily penetrable by the stick, and the manufacture isthereby facilitated. Further, pith is compressible, so that by thewrappings made at the end joints between itself and the stick, Wherebywhen such compression is efiected said joints are made impervious inlarge degree to the entrance of water without the additional protectionof a coating. Pith is lighter than wood, and the present use is remotefrom any heretofore proposed, as far as known to me.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

An article of manufacture, consisting of a fishing-float having a bodyof pith with a stick embodied therein but with projecting ends, meansfor preventing water from entering between the pith and the stick, and ahardening and waterproofing coating for the pith body.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN W WILSON.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH BOYD, CHESTER M. J EWETT.

